Cybermoor Study Day - Practical challenges of fibre networks

1. Not as
easy as
you first
think ….COMMUNITY
BROADBAND
NETWORK ….and
what we
have
learned

2. CHALLENGES
Technology
People
Paperwork
Bureaucracy
Getting Help

3. PAPERWORK & PEOPLE
 Paperwork and permissions
 Licences for contractors
 Permissions to dig the verge & fees to pay
 Permissions from land owners
 Natural England
 Finding people in County Hall that know the answer
 People
 “My business depends on having high speed broadband”
 “No you can‟t cross my land”

4.  Finding someone to ask for help
PRACTICALITIES
The European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development: Europe investing in rural areas

5. CYBERMOOR NETWORK

6. ALSTON

7. BACKHAUL
12 m mast
30 m mast
Mt Hooley
Tower at
Fire station
showing proposed
antenna
8 km fibre optic connection

8. GEOGRAPHY

9. LOW IMPACT

10. THE CLEVER BITS

11. PUBLIC INTERFACE

12. MAKING MISTAKES

13. BUREAUCRACY

14.  We are a social enterprise
 But focus on „Enterprise‟ with a social ethos
UNIQUE BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT

15. LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

16. MEMBERSHIP & COMPLIANCE
Alston
Parish
Council

17.  Three different bandwidths + fibre connections
 Widely dispersed network which is subject to weather
 Wireless equipment needs constant monitoring
 Local contractors aren‟t always available when needed
 Accounts need to be open to funders scrutiny for many years
 RDPE requires that we hold all records until 2025
 Limited funds = Limited manpower
 Flexible approach
 Amenable to out-of-hours calls
MANAGING THE BUSINESS

18. GROWING THE BUSINESS

19.  Being an Internet Service Provider and running a network is
not a simple task
 Adverse events always seem to conspire
 Lack of resources is always a problem for community lead
projects
 Don‟t be dissuaded: a community solution may be the only
one available
 Organisations such as Cybermoor, CBN etc can help reduce
the unknowns and increase your changes of success
SUMMARY

20. LESSONS
1.Get all of the planning issues and permissions sorted before
you start
2.Expect the unexpected – planning depts. etc do not expect to
deal with „amateurs‟ and do not necessarily know the answer
to your questions
3.Work closely with the local landowners
4.Be ready with options
5.Don‟t be afraid to ask for help
and………finally
Persevere

21. THANK YOU